I would buy the Oklahoma Thunder, rename them the Super Sonics and move them back home to Seattle along with their history where they belong. No Starbucks allowed to be sold in the arena.
Selfishly I for one don’t want you broadening your topics or geographical coverage. I like you focused on sports in Oregon and would hate to see it diluted.
Just my two cents. You flying solo is best thing that’s happened to sports coverage in Oregon in a long long time.
Per your request, I'm buying the Oakland A's and moving them to Portland......fastracking a new stadium......with my wealth, I can bring the other owners and the commissioner in line with the idea.
John, Whoever sent you the question on Bowl Game prospects without "marquee names" like UCLA and USC must be from one of those two schools. News Flash: USC and UCLA have not been marquee attractions in football for at least 15 years for USC (Pete Carroll era). For UCLA it is more like 30 years (Terry Donahue era). The baton was long ago passed off to SEC schools. Even B1G programs have a hard time staying out in front for national attention.
As far as scheduling, I think it would only be fitting that USC and UCLA get only road games within the PAC-12 so every school can have a good shot to take them down. I would love to see both leave the PAC-12 with 5-7 records and tails between their legs
As for spending $49B and buying a pro team, it is hard to beat your suggestion, John, so I won't try. I lived in Minnesota when the Packers sold shares to the public in 1997 (it had been over 40 years since the previous share sale). There was nothing but elation from all the Cheeseheads I know, both in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Everyone seems to have a stock certificate on their office wall. It is a matter of great public pride. It probably works best in a small town like Green Bay but fans would appreciate owning their own team anywhere.
Well, if we're talking "great restaurants", don't overlook the best foot-long hotdog on the West coast - Roake's in Jennings Lodge. I have 'em shipped to southern California every time I'm in the Portland area - that special sauce formula that Roake purchased years ago is one of a kind and the best I've had anywhere. That little trailer has been sitting in the same spot off of Highway 99E since the '30's and it's an absolute gem.
I'm sure this isn't what you and your reader were thinking about when he asked about your fav's, John, but Roake's deserves a big-time shout-out. Unbelievable foot-longs!
There was idle chatter a while back about MacKenzie Scott maybe buying the Blazers and/or Seahawks, as though she's got nothing better to do with her portion of the fortune she and her ex-husband amassed. All Scott has done since it's quietly donated her money to help make the world a better place.
Will she buy a team? I'm sure she could think of a dozen better ways to spend $10B. She's showing us.
What would I do if $49B fell from the sky and into my lap? I'd call Ms Scott and ask how I could help. After that, you'll likely find me living my best life at a $100 blackjack table at the Peppermill in Reno.
Let's dream more like MacKenzie Scott and less like Elon Musk.
Cal is participating actively in the transfer portal -- it's losing nearly all it's best players. The football team could join the basketball team in losing regularly to mid-major programs.
I have said this before, but I would love a deeply researched and human story on Dennis Erickson. He is such an interesting person from a football perspective and maybe non-football as well. He has a terrific track record and so he must do quite a few things right. But he also has demons and has had some bad gigs, like at Arizona State, which surprised me since ASU should have been easy to recruit to. What are these demons, and why? What makes him so great (I am guessing naked competitiveness that players can relate to).
John, you really would want the voting populous of Oregon to oversee the Trailblazers?...the same group who voted for gun control, who supports homeless drug addicts and anarchy? Our Founding Fathers decided against direct democracy for a reason.
Being someone who currently lives in Georgia and somehow wandered onto this site, (and what I would say has an excellent columnist and info on the Pac-12), to answer the $49 billion dollar question; 1)after I gave a lot of it to UGA so they could build a decent football team, 2) I would buy a hockey team and move it back to Atlanta, & 3) then start a PAC that would find intelligent, smart, compassionate people to serve in Congress. (Damn, think I could find anyone?)
The column does a poor job of explaining that Fresno State and SDSU are both legally (thanks to Cal Lobbying) prevented from offering Doctoral degrees on their own.
SDSU only offers degrees because UCSD and UCI have been willing to sponsor joint degrees with SDSU. Cal and UCDavis have been unwilling to do so with Fresno State. This joint doctoral degrees could easily be done as Fresno has plenty of strong programs like viticulture.
So the concern about their academics is wholly within the control of Cal. Just like Cal lobbied the politicians to hamper UCLA, they lobby the politicians to prevent Cal States from issuing doctoral degrees. In the case of the former writers held them accountable, in the latter you and Wilner are silent and complicit. Why?
Tell the truth about this double standard. Or does the Bald faced truth only come into play when it’s convenient?
how about Wayne Tinkles Beavers? just because your daughter goes to OSU and you love beaver football, instead of bashing the Ducks at Colorado, please comment about how OSU kept Tinkle after his record last year? He tinkles on himself and Beaver basketball is a sad joke. Keep telling your dental lady that you are a city-wide celeb or a sumo wrestler. From now on I must fact check you on pac-12 football. Did your home boy on your podcast, which I can not listen to anymore, ever learn how to tip? You are very biased and sure hope you never buy the Blazers. Jody Allen, whom I despise because of her refusal to sell Blazers to Phil Knight, is a poor owner. I finished so far at 58 per cent on football in real money at an Oregon casino in Sheridan, Or. My picks for the super bowl are Eagles vs. KC. Georgia, as I stated months ago, will repeat in the natty. They might not cover the 14, but I have them at bet 600 to win 100, with no point spread. Am taking Green Bay tomorrow at home vs. the Lions. Duck basketball won at Utah tonight and looked good. WSU won at Arizona. Beavers only lost by 20. Please keep bashing the Ducks; they might surprise you. Your Beaver bias is very obvious. GO DUCKS. p.s. I asked you before to PLEASE stop putting random 6.99 charges on my credit cards and you did not. I only want one charge for your column, and no recurring charges on other one- month gifts I bought. Your reply was that I could buy yearly gifts for all was beyond unacceptable. Do not care about your past with Bobby Knight or others like Fresno State. If you support adding Gonzaga to pac-10 for basketball only, we do not want mr. DUI Mark Few. No wonder Zags always make the final 64; their league is very weak. Basketball does not produce as much revenue as football, and Gonzaga has trouble in flag football. The Pac-10 has enough money problems and San Diego State has a jv stadium like OSU. It will take at least 5 years for pac-12 football to make the final four. Look out for USC and UCLA in the Big 10 in 2024. Travel is no big deal when your school gets 30 or so million more than the poor sisters in the Pac-10 or 12. Lincoln Riley and Chip Kelly can just recruit the LA area and pay the players. PSU has beaten the Beavers only twice this year in mens basketball.
If I won the lottery I’d bring back the Portland Mavericks. The rest of the money would go to getting kids involved in team sports so kids without money could be on travel teams, etc.
I would buy the Oklahoma Thunder, rename them the Super Sonics and move them back home to Seattle along with their history where they belong. No Starbucks allowed to be sold in the arena.
Selfishly I for one don’t want you broadening your topics or geographical coverage. I like you focused on sports in Oregon and would hate to see it diluted.
Just my two cents. You flying solo is best thing that’s happened to sports coverage in Oregon in a long long time.
Per your request, I'm buying the Oakland A's and moving them to Portland......fastracking a new stadium......with my wealth, I can bring the other owners and the commissioner in line with the idea.
John, Whoever sent you the question on Bowl Game prospects without "marquee names" like UCLA and USC must be from one of those two schools. News Flash: USC and UCLA have not been marquee attractions in football for at least 15 years for USC (Pete Carroll era). For UCLA it is more like 30 years (Terry Donahue era). The baton was long ago passed off to SEC schools. Even B1G programs have a hard time staying out in front for national attention.
As far as scheduling, I think it would only be fitting that USC and UCLA get only road games within the PAC-12 so every school can have a good shot to take them down. I would love to see both leave the PAC-12 with 5-7 records and tails between their legs
As for spending $49B and buying a pro team, it is hard to beat your suggestion, John, so I won't try. I lived in Minnesota when the Packers sold shares to the public in 1997 (it had been over 40 years since the previous share sale). There was nothing but elation from all the Cheeseheads I know, both in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Everyone seems to have a stock certificate on their office wall. It is a matter of great public pride. It probably works best in a small town like Green Bay but fans would appreciate owning their own team anywhere.
Well, if we're talking "great restaurants", don't overlook the best foot-long hotdog on the West coast - Roake's in Jennings Lodge. I have 'em shipped to southern California every time I'm in the Portland area - that special sauce formula that Roake purchased years ago is one of a kind and the best I've had anywhere. That little trailer has been sitting in the same spot off of Highway 99E since the '30's and it's an absolute gem.
I'm sure this isn't what you and your reader were thinking about when he asked about your fav's, John, but Roake's deserves a big-time shout-out. Unbelievable foot-longs!
There was idle chatter a while back about MacKenzie Scott maybe buying the Blazers and/or Seahawks, as though she's got nothing better to do with her portion of the fortune she and her ex-husband amassed. All Scott has done since it's quietly donated her money to help make the world a better place.
Will she buy a team? I'm sure she could think of a dozen better ways to spend $10B. She's showing us.
What would I do if $49B fell from the sky and into my lap? I'd call Ms Scott and ask how I could help. After that, you'll likely find me living my best life at a $100 blackjack table at the Peppermill in Reno.
Let's dream more like MacKenzie Scott and less like Elon Musk.
Cal is participating actively in the transfer portal -- it's losing nearly all it's best players. The football team could join the basketball team in losing regularly to mid-major programs.
I have said this before, but I would love a deeply researched and human story on Dennis Erickson. He is such an interesting person from a football perspective and maybe non-football as well. He has a terrific track record and so he must do quite a few things right. But he also has demons and has had some bad gigs, like at Arizona State, which surprised me since ASU should have been easy to recruit to. What are these demons, and why? What makes him so great (I am guessing naked competitiveness that players can relate to).
John, you really would want the voting populous of Oregon to oversee the Trailblazers?...the same group who voted for gun control, who supports homeless drug addicts and anarchy? Our Founding Fathers decided against direct democracy for a reason.
Being someone who currently lives in Georgia and somehow wandered onto this site, (and what I would say has an excellent columnist and info on the Pac-12), to answer the $49 billion dollar question; 1)after I gave a lot of it to UGA so they could build a decent football team, 2) I would buy a hockey team and move it back to Atlanta, & 3) then start a PAC that would find intelligent, smart, compassionate people to serve in Congress. (Damn, think I could find anyone?)
49 billion? I'd buy the Beavers and set them up. Why not? Phil did it with UO.
What about all the Blazer fans in SW Washington? They deserve shares if you bought the Blazers.
The column does a poor job of explaining that Fresno State and SDSU are both legally (thanks to Cal Lobbying) prevented from offering Doctoral degrees on their own.
SDSU only offers degrees because UCSD and UCI have been willing to sponsor joint degrees with SDSU. Cal and UCDavis have been unwilling to do so with Fresno State. This joint doctoral degrees could easily be done as Fresno has plenty of strong programs like viticulture.
So the concern about their academics is wholly within the control of Cal. Just like Cal lobbied the politicians to hamper UCLA, they lobby the politicians to prevent Cal States from issuing doctoral degrees. In the case of the former writers held them accountable, in the latter you and Wilner are silent and complicit. Why?
Tell the truth about this double standard. Or does the Bald faced truth only come into play when it’s convenient?
How about a feature on the great Oregon sports journalists (print and tv/radio) over the years.
how about Wayne Tinkles Beavers? just because your daughter goes to OSU and you love beaver football, instead of bashing the Ducks at Colorado, please comment about how OSU kept Tinkle after his record last year? He tinkles on himself and Beaver basketball is a sad joke. Keep telling your dental lady that you are a city-wide celeb or a sumo wrestler. From now on I must fact check you on pac-12 football. Did your home boy on your podcast, which I can not listen to anymore, ever learn how to tip? You are very biased and sure hope you never buy the Blazers. Jody Allen, whom I despise because of her refusal to sell Blazers to Phil Knight, is a poor owner. I finished so far at 58 per cent on football in real money at an Oregon casino in Sheridan, Or. My picks for the super bowl are Eagles vs. KC. Georgia, as I stated months ago, will repeat in the natty. They might not cover the 14, but I have them at bet 600 to win 100, with no point spread. Am taking Green Bay tomorrow at home vs. the Lions. Duck basketball won at Utah tonight and looked good. WSU won at Arizona. Beavers only lost by 20. Please keep bashing the Ducks; they might surprise you. Your Beaver bias is very obvious. GO DUCKS. p.s. I asked you before to PLEASE stop putting random 6.99 charges on my credit cards and you did not. I only want one charge for your column, and no recurring charges on other one- month gifts I bought. Your reply was that I could buy yearly gifts for all was beyond unacceptable. Do not care about your past with Bobby Knight or others like Fresno State. If you support adding Gonzaga to pac-10 for basketball only, we do not want mr. DUI Mark Few. No wonder Zags always make the final 64; their league is very weak. Basketball does not produce as much revenue as football, and Gonzaga has trouble in flag football. The Pac-10 has enough money problems and San Diego State has a jv stadium like OSU. It will take at least 5 years for pac-12 football to make the final four. Look out for USC and UCLA in the Big 10 in 2024. Travel is no big deal when your school gets 30 or so million more than the poor sisters in the Pac-10 or 12. Lincoln Riley and Chip Kelly can just recruit the LA area and pay the players. PSU has beaten the Beavers only twice this year in mens basketball.
If I won the lottery I’d bring back the Portland Mavericks. The rest of the money would go to getting kids involved in team sports so kids without money could be on travel teams, etc.